Beekeeping in the Tropics.

[Bee-Key-Pur]

Has anyone here had any experience doing it?

 

[richardbees]

Someone from Hong Kong posted here a few months ago wondering why her bees disappeared overnight.

Hope that helps.

 

[Finman]

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I know a little bit. There are countries which practically does not have beekeeping. Malaysia and Cambodia are such countries. Perhaps Apis cerana lives there but not European bee.

There are stories what happened to Campodian hives. Ant army may occupye the hive in one night. There were mating problems too.

African bees has been brought to Brasilia,because European bee had difficulties to survive there. So the killer bee got its start.

I drived car the whole week in Malaysia. I even met a big beehive under house. There was no honey to give to the house owner. Colony was big but combs empty.

My opinion is that the climate is too moist to European honeybee. It rainst often at night. It takes time to afternoon that weather will dry up. Water showers are usual in the middle of the day. Nectar's sugar content must be weak in that moist weather. Bees carry almost water if they get something. There are natural pollinators too which harvest flowers. They were busy in coconut palms in the morning when they collected pollen.

Flowers are in jungles here and there but not hectares. Only solitary blooming trees. Foraging distances are long.

I read that there is not a single beekeeper in Singapore. Towns are horribly hot when sun shines to buildings and to asphalt.

Natural Apis bees migrate to other districts to avoid unfavorable seasons.

 

[Finman]

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With those title words you find lots of material via google.

 

[antoniahk]

It was me with the disappearing bees...so I am certainly not someone to go to for information! But here is a link to a forum started by someone who has recently started keeping bees (apis cerana) in Hong Kong, there are not yet many posts but there may be some useful information.

http://asianbee.freeforums.org/

 

[Finman]

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Day temps are this week in Hong Kong 20C. Is that tropics?
I have thought that tropic temps are all year around near 30C.

Philipines has much beekeeping. Its day temp are now 30C.

 

[Norton]

Hello,
I have kept bees in Zimbabwe and seen beekeeping in many other Africa countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Zambia....

 

[yantabulla]

yes what do you want to know

 

[Bee-Key-Pur]

What is the main hive type used.
What breed of bees are kept.
With temperatures mostly above the 30s, how do you stop the comb and foundation from sagging or melting?
With temperature fairly constant all year, do bees out there have a certain time in the year when they are more likely to swarm, or will the go at any time of year, given the right conditions?
That’s all I can think of for now.
Thanks guys.

 

[Finman]

Hello,
I have kept bees in Zimbabwe and seen beekeeping in many other Africa countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Zambia....

what do you know about limists when the place is too moist or hot to European bee?
African has several own races of mellifera which are nursed in Africa too.
How tame are Arfican own races to nurse?

 

[Norton]

The introduction of European bees in to Tropical Africa was not successful in general, even though several attempts were made. The local bees are very successful in their own environments, but at higher elevations are replaced by more docile bees that again do not thrive when placed at lower elevations. As regarding temperature: low to medium altitude populations of bees cope very well and are very adaptable, able to create powerful colonies and swarming several times a year.

Stories of docile bees, that appear from time to time, are just someone who has succeeded in importing European queens and managed to produce some good F1 daughters. These situations are temporary.

We can can see that in Cyprus that strains of bees, for example Buckfast from Scandinavian, do not handle the heat well at all. When it gets hot, really hot, they just stop working and stop rearing brood at the end of June and just run out of bees by October. We cannot kept this kind of bee here. Note that from the end of June to the end of October the average daytime temperature rarely drops below 30C. Twelve years ago we had a period of intense heat with temperatures in excess of 40C for seventy days!

 

[richardbees]

Antonia, thanks, I'd lost that thread

good luck next time

richard

 

[Finman]

The introduction of European bees in to Tropical Africa was not successful in general,
,........
Stories of docile bees, that appear from time to time, are just someone who has succeeded in importing European queens and managed to produce some good F1 daughters. These situations are temporary.

We can can see that in Cyprus that strains of bees, for example Buckfast from Scandinavian, do not handle the heat well at all.

all you say is interesting and new to me.

One Australian bee researcher told in Beemaster forum some years ago that in Australia all their university nucs died in the heat and some hives absconded. It is not only the air temperature but ground in front of entrance is hot. Bees cannot control hive temp any more.

 

[antoniahk]

.
Day temps are this week in Hong Kong 20C. Is that tropics?
I have thought that tropic temps are all year around near 30C.

Philipines has much beekeeping. Its day temp are now 30C.

According to the map it is.

 

[Finman]

According to the map it is.

thanks for your note. I have been in Hong Kong airport twice, whenI went and when I came. That is what I know about place.

According tropic definition, between north and south latitude 23,5 Hong Kong with its 22 laitude is inside tropic zone. Wikipedia knows that climate is subtropic.

I read about Japanese cerana bees which live in towns. Only 10% live in cavities. 90% buid combs in fresh air.

 

[yantabulla]

G'day Bee-Key-Pur,

I'm at Coffs Harbour, northern New South Wales which would be sub tropical. I have Bananas growing on my property.

What is the main hive type used.

The same sort of stuff you use. Mainly Langsthroth 8 -10 frames, full-depth or shallower depending on what you want to lift. Ventilated migratory lids.

What breed of bees are kept.

Generally Italians cope with the conditions the best. I re-queen with Italians from Queensland breeders.

With temperatures mostly above the 30s, how do you stop the comb and foundation from sagging or melting?

It's not a huge issue. I wire everything. Once you get into the hight 40's you may have problems but beekeepers would try to situate hives where they get afternoon shade. It doesn't get that hot where I am but the humidity can be trying. The bees will hang out the front of the hive & fan like crazy. Ventilated lids assist.

The link below is for a hive hooked up to data loggers in Melbourne. Not in the tropics but summer temps can hit the high 40's. (Watch Australian open tennis in January if you don't believe me) The bees maintain an even brood temperature & humidity.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~redvespa/Weather/bees.htm

With temperature fairly constant all year, do bees out there have a certain time in the year when they are more likely to swarm, or will the go at any time of year, given the right conditions?

You can expect swarm her in mid August/early September then all summer until March. My bees raise brood all year round. The swarming impulse certainly decreases during our winter.

Bee-Key-Pur the issues you have raised are just normal day to day management. The things that really keep us awake at night is the relentless attack from the small hive beetle & the Apis cerana incursion in north Queensland which has the potential of spreading along the entire east coast of Australia.

Yanta

 

[susbees]

With temperatures mostly above the 30s, how do you stop the comb and foundation from sagging or melting?

Geddah waxes - from Asian bees - have a different construction. As do bumble bee waxes btw but that's OT .

 

[Suzi Q]

Hi Yanta...interesting to hear about beekeeping on the other side of the world. Quick question.....why is the Apis cerana incursion worrying? Cannot the two races of bees co-exist? Would there be problems with in-breeding?

 

[Finman]

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Australia has not yet varroa. Apis cerana is a original specie from which varroa jumped to mellifera.
So in nature cerana colonies carry varroa and that would import the bug to Australia.
There are two varroa strains or species. Another lives on mellifera and another does not live.

 

[yantabulla]

Thanks Suzi Q,

Well it worries us because

1. It out competes mellifera

2. They are not manageable ie they swarm at the slightest disturbance

3. They occupy the hollows that our native animals like eg parrots & marsupials

4. State & Federal Governments refuse to contribute adequate funding to deal with the issue.

More info here

http://www.securefoodsavebees.com/

Yanta